Who Cares
As parents we simply care too much. Preventing our kids from being kids. You cannot worry about everything. You just have to worry about the right things. Not all moments are worth fighting for. Not all moments are for correcting behavior. However, within reason, there are lessons all over the place.
We get a new couch and we don’t want the kids sitting on it. The new floors we just put in and we don’t want the kids walking on them. We buy things for the home and don’t realize that we have children at home that will most likely ruin it. So what. It’s going to end up in the trash anyway. The couch you cared so much for will end up on the curb one day and replaced with a new one. The floors you’re so worried about, well the house will get sold to another family, with kids. The fake flowers you don’t want your kids to touch, are fake. Buy new ones. Or don’t buy them at all. Your concern for the walls are insignificant. The scratches, the crayon marks.
All of these are signs that little humans live here. Why hide it? Why be so worried about the kids ruining the stuff you buy? It isn’t their fault, they’re just being kids.
Yesterday’s blog mentioned the true cost of things and this is a great example. When you buy something it does not only cost you the money you paid for it. The additional costs are the ones you carry at home in anxiety and worry about the item being ruined or misused. That’s a you problem. Don’t blame your kids.
It’s best to guide them in how to act than to prevent them from acting. If you’re worried about the couch, teach them how to sit on it. If you’re worried about the walls, than get paint that can easily be cleaned from marks. Also buy your kids the markers that only work on the special paper. The floors, guess what, they’re meant for walking on. Get an area rug.
I once met a mom that had a kids couch. When I asked her what that meant she explained it by saying that a kids couch is any old couch for now. Since she had 3 kids under 8 years old. As the kids get older and have more self control, she would eventually get the couch she always wanted. For now, any couch will do. It’s not about having a nice couch for your guests to admire. It’s about being practical and realizing that if you’re concerned that your kids will ruin the couch, get one they can ruin. And your guests can sit on that couch just as they can on the one you’ve always wanted.
It will all end up in the trash or replaced, again, one day. Stop trying to eliminate the fact that children live with you. Too often parents want to scrub the mess. Really, what you’re doing is removing the presence of your kids in your home. All of the physical things you value in your home will all be thrown away one day. Does it matter? No.
Thought Provoking Questions : Why do you care so much if your kids ruin something?
Dan Roman is a writer that releases a daily meditation. A quick read. Sharing wisdom and asking thought-provoking questions. Influenced by the obstacles, success and failures in life and of others. Using history, books, current events, philosophy, and ancient wisdom. These writings are actionable, thought-provoking, designed to make your life better.
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